In Sickness and In Health
by melodiousWhims
Summary: This wasn't the way life was supposed to go. They were supposed to run stupidly off into the sunset. But then again when has life for Emily ever worked out? Warnings: Fem! America, 2p! Fem! America, Lesbians, Character Death


If Emily's life was a book, it'd be the kind of redemption story you see so often. The kind that ends happily, the kind that ended with the protagonist and their love interest running off into the sunset. It be a sappy romantic, but overall inspiring book, with it's own shitty movie remake. No one was suppose to die, just the bad guy. She would just overcome the problem and everyone would be really happy.

So this wasn't suppose to happen. Amy wasn't suppose to be lying in a hospital bed, thin as a skeleton, her bright happy blue eyes, dull. No this wasn't right. There wasn't supposed to be a doctor saying that her girlfriend was going to die, that they've done all they could and that at best she has a few days left. She couldn't bear seeing Amy's parents look so miserable.

She shouldn't have to deliver the message to them and watch Arthur break the way he did. Leaning against his husband like everything in him broke. His stern expression melting into that of a man who was about to lose his little girl. Nestling his face into Francis shoulder, his emotions getting the better of him. Francis, himself, having to try and calm Arthur, despite the tears leaking from his eyes.

But this was happening and at that moment Emily's life felt like it was about to fall apart. Amy had been her redemption, the reason she tried desperately to get out of her acts of thievery and drugs. She changed so she could be good enough for her girl and then this happens?

Emily took a few short, quick steps towards the room and took a deep breath. She lifted her chin and stepped into the room.

It hurt, seeing Amy like that. Emily couldn't cry, not in front of Amy. She tried to backtrack in order to ensure she got herself together, but Amy's lids fluttered open.

And there was that smile, that smile that even in the wake of dying was still just so heart wrenchingly happy. Emily bit her lip and tried to return the smile, but it was a rather pitiful action and she stopped. But Amy's smile still remained, even her dull, seemingly lifeless eyes, seemed to brighten just a bit.

"Where's my dads?" Amy asked, innocently. But she knew. Emily's reaction told her everything.

"Pulling themselves together, sunshine."

Amy's smile altered into that of a sympathetic daughter and girlfriend. Guilt entered her eyes. "They were always big saps," she answered with a sad, weary laugh.

"Yeah...yeah," Emily responded, looking at the flowers that decorated the rather gray room. Carnations, roses, daisies of all different colors. Honestly Amy had her own personal garden in the room.

"So...how long?" Amy asked, following Emily's gaze to the rainbow of flowers.

Emily took a deep breath and walked to the slightly wilting flowers she had brought at the beginning of this ordeal. They were the closest to Amy, the dying girl had ensured that her girlfriend's cheap Harris Teeter purchase was obviously the more favored grouping of flowers. Emily cautiously lifted the last brightly colored flower from the vase and placed it behind Amy's ear.

"A few days at best," she muttered, taking a seat next to Amy.

Amy's face remained unchanged. Death wasn't that scary anymore to her. It was a fact of life. Her mom had died from the disease she had blessed Amy with, and Amy had accepted that she would eventually die. Of course, this was sooner than she had wanted. She hadn't even reached college yet, but death wasn't patient.

She was scared though of what would become of her fathers. They argued and they fought, but in the end remained together, for Amy's sake. But she was going to be dead soon. How much longer would the couple remain? They loved each other, but without Amy to remind them, there was not a lot to make them remain partners.

And Emily. What of her girlfriend? Emily came from a part of life Amy couldn't even begin to understand. But Emily somehow was able to beat her thieving traits and habitual selling and occasional using of drugs. All for Amy. What would happen to her without Amy there to encourage her and tell her she was loved. Amy was her first non abusive relationship. Would Emily slip back into following men and women who beat her, all because she felt that was all she deserved?

"So, we don't have a lotta time, do we?" Amy asked, struggling to sit herself up.

Emily grabbed Amy's hand and stroked her thumb on the back of it. "...I suppose not," she mumbled.

Amy lifted Emily's hand and kissed it gently. She then took her own hand back and reached between her mattress and the bed. She then produced a scrapbook. "So, you remember when you bought us the tickets to Disney World last year? And we had the greatest date ever? And you bought the Mickey Mouse scrapbook for me?"

Emily nodded, puzzled that Amy even had it with her.

"Well, originally, I put these pictures in here for when I left for college next year, but...well, this is as good a reason. I want you to keep this. So when I'm gone, I want you to remember me. Us. It has pictures of Disney, and those concerts, our first date. It has everything I could possibly fit into there. At the end is a letter-"

"Amy, babe, I don't-" Emily started, her eyes wet.

"At the end is a letter. For you. I want you to read it, so that whenever you feel you have to go back to who you were when we first met. To the drugs, to the stealing. Or if you ever think you're alone. Because you won't be. You'll still have me, y'know. Even if I'm dead, I want you to know, I will always, _always_ be there."

Emily slowly opened the scrapbook and a weak smile was on her lips. This was their story. All their dates, lyrics to songs they fell in love with, letters and texts they sent when they were away from each other. Here it was. This was all she was going to have left of Amy.

Emily couldn't hold it back anymore and a sob escaped from her. Amy grabbed her arms and pulled her into the hospital bed with her. She peppered the crying girl with kisses and whispered sweet, loving words into her ears. They laid there like that till sleep took them away.

Amy died three days later.


End file.
